Overview

The Consumer Protection (Postal Marketing) Act 2011 aims to amend existing legislation to better protect consumers from fraudulent postal marketing schemes. It specifically targets mass marketing exercises designed to deceive recipients.

Description

This bill amends the Postal Services Act 2000. Specifically, it adds an exception to Section 83. This exception states that Section 83 (which likely pertains to regulations around unsolicited mail) will not apply if there is reasonable belief that the postal item is part of a mass marketing campaign intended to defraud the recipient. This means that fraudulent mass mailings would be excluded from the usual regulations pertaining to unsolicited mail, allowing for more effective prosecution of such schemes.

Government Spending

The bill is unlikely to have a significant direct impact on government spending. The cost of implementing the amendment to the Postal Services Act 2000 would likely be minimal, involving mainly administrative changes and enforcement actions which may be offset by savings from reduced fraud.

Groups Affected

• Consumers: The bill primarily benefits consumers by offering enhanced protection against fraudulent postal marketing scams.
• Businesses engaged in legitimate postal marketing: These businesses are unlikely to be directly affected, provided their marketing practices are not fraudulent.
• Law enforcement agencies: The amendment may aid law enforcement in prosecuting perpetrators of fraudulent postal marketing schemes.
• Postal services: The impact on postal services is likely to be indirect and minimal, primarily through reduced handling of fraudulent mail.

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